Proverbs 19

¹Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity

than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

²Desire without knowledge is not good,

and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.

³When a man's folly brings his way to ruin,

his heart rages against the Lord.

⁴Wealth brings many new friends,

but a poor man is deserted by his friend.

⁵A false witness will not go unpunished,

and he who breathes out lies will not escape.

⁶Many seek the favor of a generous man,

and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.

⁷All a poor man's brothers hate him;

how much more do his friends go far from him!

He pursues them with words, but does not have them.

⁸Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;

he who keeps understanding will discover good.

⁹A false witness will not go unpunished,

and he who breathes out lies will perish.

¹⁰It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,

much less for a slave to rule over princes.

¹¹Good sense makes one slow to anger,

and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

¹²A king's wrath is like the growling of a lion,

but his favor is like dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish son is ruin to his father,

and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.

¹⁴House and wealth are inherited from fathers,

but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

¹⁵Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep,

and an idle person will suffer hunger.

¹⁶Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life;

he who despises his ways will die.

¹⁷Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,

and he will repay him for his deed.

¹⁸Discipline your son, for there is hope;

do not set your heart on putting him to death.

¹⁹A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,

for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.

²⁰Listen to advice and accept instruction,

that you may gain wisdom in the future.

²¹Many are the plans in the mind of a man,

but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

²²What is desired in a man is steadfast love,

and a poor man is better than a liar.

²³The fear of the Lord leads to life,

and whoever has it rests satisfied;

he will not be visited by harm.

²⁴The sluggard buries his hand in the dish

and will not even bring it back to his mouth.

²⁵Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;

reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.

²⁶He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother

is a son who brings shame and reproach.

²⁷Cease to hear instruction, my son,

and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A worthless witness mocks at justice,

and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.

²⁹Condemnation is ready for scoffers,

and beating for the backs of fools.